So here it is, the first new material to feature Ozzy Osbourne fronting Black Sabbath in over three decades. Or at least since 1998’s REUNION depending on whose version of history you’re referencing. On the real, “Psycho Man”? “Selling My Soul”? Bueller? Anyone else remember “Scary Dreams” from the Ozzfest comp? No, we don’t talk about those…

By the time you read this, 13 will have been available for almost a full month. Everybody’s heard it and everyone has an opinion. I was bound and determined not to join the peanut gallery and add yet another unsolicited two cents to the discussion, because if we’re being honest with each other, chances are you made your mind up about 13 long before hearing it. Another review from some dude sitting at his laptop isn’t going to sway the way you feel about it. But I’m giving in against my better judgment to pen my thoughts about the latest and what will most likely be the last album from what is unquestionably my favorite band. Readers of Metal-Rules, this one is more for me than it is for you.

I like 13, but I don’t love it. All things being what they are, it’s an above average album that doesn’t do any damage to the Sabbath legacy, but it doesn’t do anything to propel it either. And you’re fooling yourself if you think that 13 holds a smoldering candle to any of the original Ozzy-era canon. When everything works, it works TREMENDOUSLY well. When it doesn’t work, 13 sounds like a cover band trying to do their best impression of what they think that Black Sabbath is supposed to sound like.

Here’s the thing – most associate Sabbath with the almighty doom riff; dark, heavy, and slow. But Sabbath, particularly Ozzy-era Sabbath was so much more than that one trick pony. For every “Iron Man”, there was “Fairies Wear Boots.” For every “Black Sabbath”, there was “Megalomania”. For every “Symptom of the Universe”, there was “Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener”. Yeah, there was the dark, heavy, and slow, but that was all counterbalanced by bluesy, big band swing, and simple experimentation. And it’s that brilliant counterbalance that’s noticeably missing on most of 13. Anyone can write a heavy riff, but Black Sabbath is capable of so much more.

The Good: “End of the Beginning” – the opening riff instantly recalls the devil’s triad that opened their eponymous debut LP 40 some years ago (don’t think that wasn’t intentional), but 2 and half minutes in, Iommi’s swinging riffs and screeching solo lets you know that this is unmistakably Black F@#king Sabbath. Ozzy mumbles a bit through the track, with the lyric “you don’t want to be a robot ghost” sounding more like “you don’t want to be a rope-a-dope” or “you don’t want to be a robot goat”. Some of that’s due to the ham handed production, but it takes you out of the moment a bit. Thankfully the Iommi/Butler/Not Bill Ward wall of sound quickly lures you back in. “God is Dead?” - The first single, everyone should be familiar with this track by now. It’s a pretty solid tune, especially the “Nowhere to Run” bounce towards the end. “Age of Reason” – Primarily the second half of the track with its staccato off time stagger that segues into a sweepingly epic Iommi solo to carry the tune away.

The Great: “Zeitgeist” – Planet Caravan Part 2? This spacey, percussive jam is closer the true Black Sabbath sound than any of the crunch that surrounds it; highly recommended. “Damaged Soul” – Total freakin’ Sabbath blues. I would have given my pinky finger for an album full of tunes like this one. Arguably the best track on 13.

The Not So Great: “Loner” – “He’s Just a Loner/He Never Says Hello”. Iommi’s riff reminds me of the B-side of MOB RULES, but this track has filler written all over it. “Live Forever” – The main riff sounds like a slowed down, slightly nudged “I Witness” from CROSS PURPOSES, and doesn’t elicit much of a reaction one way or the other. “Dear Father” – Oz sounds like he’s running out of breath trying to keep up with Geezer’s lyrics. Musically it sounds eerily close to what ended up on THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, and you can’t help but wondering what Ronnie could have done with this track. Miss you Ronnie.

I’m not even going to justify the various bonus tracks from the “special editions”. Either they’re important enough to include on the finished product or they’re not. But let’s talk Rick Rubin’s production work on 13 for a moment, or general lack thereof. Don’t expect any kind of aural nuance or texture, ‘cause there ain’t none to be found. Basically all of the levels are pushed to their max with a heavy dose of compression on everything. For which Rubin showed up 15 minutes a day and was paid handsomely, thus proving that I am indeed in the wrong line of work.

So there it is. As the saying goes, opinions are like certain orifices; everybody has one – and this one is mine. If I had a choice to listen to 13 against any of the Ozzy-era “Great 8”, it’s gonna lose every time. That’s not a slag on 13, if anything it’s a testament to how f@#king amazing Black Sabbath was in their prime. If we’re all being honest, Christ himself could’ve come down for a guest spot on the album and it still wouldn’t have been as good as VOL. 4, that’s just the truth and we all know it. Where 13 really succeeds is in providing some much needed closure to a heavy metal journey 40+ years strong. The fact that Ozzy, Tony, and Geezer felt like that they still had one more in them is reason enough to give 13 a fair listen. Decide for yourself.

Track Listing

1. End of the Beginning
2. God Is Dead?
3. Loner
4. Zeitgeist
5. Age of Reason
6. Live Forever
7. Damaged Soul
8. Dear Father

Roughly two weeks ago, Black Sabbath’s nineteenth studio album 13 was released. First full length Sabbath album to feature the Ozz man in 35 years, Geezer Butler’s first since 1994, Black Sabbath’s first since 1995. Sure the band has reunited for live dates from time to time, but Bil Ward is again a no-show, still unhappy with contractual issues. Nevertheless, a new full-length studio album is a big deal. Two weeks in and already a voluminous army of reviews has been compiled by the Metal community. Considering that Sabbath has probably had more books, documentaries, and critical attention devoted to it than any other metal band in history, a hefty accumulation of reviews was inevitable. Which begs the question, why another review? I had to ask myself that a few times, and the only answer I could come up with that made sense, was simply “Because it’s fuckin’ Black Sabbath man!”

So let’s talk about the salient points. Rick Rubin was brought in to handle production, reprising the role he played as the codger resuscitator on Metallica’s DEATH MAGNETIC. Lots of people hate the production, lambasting Rubin’s catering to the “loudness war” which is similar to the reaction to DEATH MAGNETIC's production. Most folks though will just hear what is a fairly typical modern sounding album; nothing more, nothing less. More important than his actual production quality, Rubin represents a back to basics on this album for Sabbath and according to Geezer Butler in The Guardian, Rubin directed the band to ‘unlearn everything’ from the subsequent 43 years: "That was his thing. Pretend this is your second album." Admirably and bravely, chancing the tarnishing of a legacy to recapture the sound and vibe of what would eventually evolve into the style we call heavy metal music, Black Sabbath has made that return.

“End Of The Beginning” is the trumpeting of that direction, unrepentant and blatant in its mirroring (self plagiarizing) of the title track off the 1970 album BLACK SABBATH, in tempo, style, and order of construction. Next up is “God Is Dead”, the one that has been out forever, a plodding 9 minute epic that is a pure doom construct. Signature high point is Geezer’s bass as an integral part of the song during the verses, eschewing the simple mimicking of the guitar that has become the standard rote of most modern metal bassists. “Loner” is a great tune, hearkening back to the chord progressions of “N.I.B.”, the nickname given to the sadly absent Bil Ward. One of the few missteps is the next song, “Zeitgeist”, sure to be Phil Anselmo’s favorite on the album, but I never cared for “Planet Caravan” and this is essentially Caravan's heavy lidded and snoozing sibling.

Performance wise, Iommi crafts heavy and thick riffs, if a bit predictable and lacking any sense of adventure. However, his blues inflected solos are from a bygone era, inspired and steeped in knowledge. As for Ozzy, the death defying man whose blood became a scientific study to uncover the reasons that have helped him survive years of excessive alcohol and drug abuse, he lends gravity and solemn reflection through his unique timbre to the songs meant for him alone to sing. Age has lowered his range, but not deterred his delivery, and Geezer is still the rock solid foundation of the band’s sound and chief lyricist, penning themes of religion, conflict, inner turmoil and philosophy. Brad Wilk capably fills Ward’s shoes, though no doubt the drums would have been different with Ward.

Credit the band for getting it together and putting this album out, perhaps the passing of Dio and other metal icons along with Iommi’s cancer providing the impetus needed and realization that there might be no tomorrow. Ultimately, 13 contains many of the trademarks of early Sabbath while coming across as more consistent than say the debut. Perhaps a bit too slow, and lacking any real experimental dash, 13 cannot deliver Sabbath back to the glory days, and really who could expect it, even though it is the first Sabbath album to ever reach #1 on the U.S. Billboard charts. However, there is no question that this comes very close to the sound of the early 70s with a different and modern production. The standard edition of the album clocks in at 8 tracks, but you can hear the three bonus tracks on Spotify or the Deluxe edition of the album.